1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a windshield system for a saddle-type vehicle, where the windshield has integrally formed air distribution structures.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a conventional windshield system for a saddle-type vehicle, air outlets are provided at both sides of an upper end of a windshield, an outside air stream is blown from these air outlets, and the shielding effect of the windshield is enhanced. Further, it is known to provide an outside air inlet and an air outlet on the right and on the left of the windshield, in order to reduce a difference in pressure between the inside and the outside of the windshield, by taking in air at the outside air inlet and blowing it from the air outlet. Such a windshield system is disclosed, for example, in Japanese published patent document JP 64-001671.
The figures of Japanese published patent document JP 64-001671 have been reproduced herein as FIGS. 9-20. Referring to FIGS. 9-12, these figures show that the effect of a windshield upon an upper half of an occupant is enhanced by: providing the windshield 202 at the front of a motorcycle 201; providing a transparent screen 422 on an upper part of the windshield 202; holding the screen 422 with an outside frame 213; providing right and left outside air inlets 216, 216 in a lower part of the outside frame 213; configuring these outside air inlets 216, 216 to communicate with air outlets 217, 217 provided on an upper part of the outside frame 213 through air ducts 215, 215; and blowing out an outside air stream, taken from the outside air inlets 216, 216, outwardly via the air outlets 217, 217.
Referring to FIGS. 13-16, these figures show that outside air inlets 326, 326 are provided on the right and on the left of a lower part of the windshield 202, air outlets 317, 317 are provided on the rear sides of the windshield 202, and that the outside air inlet 326 and the air outlet 317 communicate with each other through a duct 322. During operation of this prior art system, an outside air stream is prevented from swirling to the inside of the windshield 202, and a difference in pressure between the outside and the inside of the windshield 202 is reduced.
Referring to FIGS. 17-20, it is described that an opening 501 is provided between a windshield 502 and a fender 500, and an outside air stream W50 is taken inside the windshield 502 utilizing the opening 501, the outside air stream W50 is led inside the windshield 502 via guides 521, 531, 541, 532, 551 and a difference in pressure between the outside and the inside of the windshield 502 is reduced.
In the windshield system disclosed in Japanese published patent document JP 64-001671, since the outside air stream W2 is blown out from the air outlets 217, 217 provided on the right and on the left of the upper part of the outside frame 213 as shown in FIG. 9, and the outside air stream W2 is not blown out from the upside of the screen 422, a traveling air stream passing over the top of the screen 422 directly hits a rider, and the effect of the windshield is not sufficient.
In addition, the air outlet 317 shown in FIG. 14 is opened outside the body, the air outlet shown in FIGS. 18 and 20 leads air stream inside the windshield 502, and is provided to reduce a difference in pressure between the outside and the inside of the windshield so as to reduce running resistance.
However, as a result of recent analysis, when a structure is adopted in which air is blown from a windshield to acquire the effect of a screen, it is known that the pressure difference reduction only in the vicinity of the windshield is not sufficient from the viewpoint of not only the reduction of running resistance but the reduction of noise about a rider's ears. This is particularly true in a large, low-slung type of vehicle, in which a space in front of the rider and around the rider is large.
It is an object of the present invention to enhance the wind-diverting effect of a windshield, and to sufficiently adjust pressure in an open space at the back of the windshield.